Meteorology: Random Listings 

Winds from the four cardinal points of the compass; that is, north, east, south, and west winds.

A unit of pressure used principally in oceanography. One decibar (10' dynes/cm2) equals 0.1 bar. In the ocean, hydrostatic pressure in decibars very nearly equals the corresponding depth in meters.

An instrument used for the measurement of the reflecting, power (the albedo) of a surface. A pyranometer adapted for the measurement of radiation reflected from the earth's surface is sometimes employed as an albedometer.

A buoyant balloon kept from rising freely by means of a line secured to a point on the ground, as opposed to a free balloon. See kytoon.

A colorless and odorless gaseous element. The lightest and apparently the most abundant chemical element in the universe. However, it is found only in trace quantities in the observable portion of our atmosphere, only about 0.00005 percent by volume of dr ...

A device that allows a terminal or computer at one location to communicate with a terminal or computer at a distant location via wire or phone lines.

An empirical curve relating stream discharge or stage at a point on a stream to discharge or stage at one or more upstream points and, possibly. to other parameters. Also called stage relation.

A fabric cone attached to a metal ring and used to indicate wind direction. often at airfields.

Anemometer which measures wind speed by measuring the degree of cooling of a metal film heated by an electric current. A type of cooling-power anemometer.

A pyrheliometer of the bimetallic type used to measure the intensity of direct solar radiation.

One of several constant-pressure levels in the atmosphere for which a complete evaluation of data derived from upper air observations is required.

The level at which ice crystals and snowflakes melt as they descend through the atmosphere.

A local variation in the wind direction or speed. This condition can present danger to aircraft, especially at landing, when a sudden shift from headwind to tailwind can cause a rapid loss of airspeed and lift.

A type of precipitation composed of unbranched crystals in the form of needles, columns, or plates. Usually has a very slight downward motion and may fall from a cloudless sky.